Rubybeth...I have a question for you

[zoebartlett]

Hi Rubybeth!

I don''t know if you read the other forums so I thought I''d post this here. I noticed in another thread that you mentioned your field is library science. I''m toying with the idea of going back to school (part time) for either an MLS or a certificate in library science. I''m a teacher now. Do you mind telling more about your position and what courses are required/recommend? What schools are worth considering? I''m not sure where you''re located but I''m in New England. If there''s any info. on this that you don''t mind passing along, I''d greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

Zoe

 

[rubybeth]

Date: 1/31/2008 7:44:07 PM
Author:ZoeBartlett
Hi Rubybeth!

I don''t know if you read the other forums so I thought I''d post this here. I noticed in another thread that you mentioned your field is library science. I''m toying with the idea of going back to school (part time) for either an MLS or a certificate in library science. I''m a teacher now. Do you mind telling more about your position and what courses are required/recommend? What schools are worth considering? I''m not sure where you''re located but I''m in New England. If there''s any info. on this that you don''t mind passing along, I''d greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

Zoe

Hi Zoe!

Right now, I''m a library assistant in a public library in Minnesota, but have worked in libraries for years (started as a shelver in a branch library in high school). I''ve looked at job ads for years (LIS Jobs is a good place to look for an idea of what''s available nationally: http://www.lisjobs.com/jobs/) and pretty much anything that sounded interesting/career-worthy required an ALA (American Library Association) accredited MLS or MLIS (Masters of Library Science or Masters of Library and Information Science--I''m getting an MLIS from the only school in Minnesota that offers the degree right now, which is a complicated situation, but I think it''s going to work out pretty well for me).

Anyway, I would suggest looking at jobs first to see if what''s described seems like something you really want to do. Then, look at the list of accredited institutions on ALA''s site (www.ala.org, click on the link for "Education & Careers"). I''m not sure if New England has a program, but there are online programs, though I''ve heard from several librarians that they would never want to hire someone who got their degree online. Plus, I personally love the interaction with professors and classmates, so even though I have to commute for my classes, it''s worth it to me. There aren''t really rankings of library schools (or at least that I know of) though I''ve heard excellent things about both Simmons and Dominican (which is technically my school right now, but that''s more complicated than is worth explaining right now).

At my school, after taking four core courses (Intro. to Library and Information Science, Reference, Cataloging, and Management of Libraries and Info. Centers) you can take whatever you like, unless you want to be a school media specialist--need a teaching degree--or have an emphasis in archival management--have to take a test to be a certified archivist, I think. Right now, I''m taking Readers'' Advisory and Services for Children and Young Adults, and hope to take more classes that will lead to a job in either public or academic libraries. I also really want to be a supervisor, and my management course gave me a lot of confidence that I could manage a department or library someday.

Any other questions, feel free to ask!

 

[zoebartlett]

Thanks so much for the helpful information, Rubybeth! I''ll definitely check out the links you gave me. I was a library page in high school, working in my town''s library, both in the children''s room and in the main room. I really enjoyed it but never considered a career in library science at the time. I have my masters in reading and I''m a certified elementary teacher -- I''ve been teaching for a few years now. If I did decide to go back to school, I''d do it really slowly and have my school district pay for most of the tuition. When I got my masters, I was going to school full time, and unfortunately, I don''t have that luxury right now. I used to work in children''s publishing in Boston, and I''m familiar with Simmons (although that''s not where I went to school).

I''ve been thinking about my career path and the different jobs I''ve had since college lately. I know that if I did go back to school (and decide to change paths somewhat), I''d probably want to work in an elementary school''s library. I''d also consider a public library but I love interacting with kids all day. I would assume that working with a variety of ages would be a great opportunity.

Thanks again for all your help. I''ll be sure to ask moe questions along the way if needed.


Zoe